With Thanksgiving just a few days away, food seems to be an appropriate topic. I have been thinking about this blog for a while, but here it takes on a special twist (as do most things).
So when I think about planning a meal here-especially a special one. I use the same tools you do- cookbooks, cooking websites, previous experience, etc. The difference comes in availability!
Let me use a cooking magazine as an example. The front of the magazine has a wonderful looking deep-dish pizza, dripping with cheese; I start to drool because it has been a long time since I have a pizza like that. The front cover says stuff like “The Best Snacks to Buy Now”, “Simple and Satisfying…” and Make in 20 minutes”. I get my hopes up that maybe with a trip to the grocery store and a little bit of time we will have partake in some of these delicacies.
I open the magazine, and with the first three recipes, I start having some doubts-Peanut Butter Cup Blondies- Yum, but the other day I saw a 2 pack of Peanut Butter Cups for $1.75, not really an option on a missionary budget, Strawberry and Rhubarb Lemonade- the last strawberries I saw which were being sold door-to-door were $3 a pint for my Nica neighbors and $5 a pint for me ( I get the “Gringo Discount”), and they looked like they had been brought in my burro from Mexico. And lastly Halibut and Peach Salad- anyone who know me knows that fish is not on my menu, and although I have not seen peaches down here, I figured that a mango might be a good substitute. Three strikes, but hey it is a magazine full of recipes, this is only the beginning.
I come across a recipe for Smoky Pork Stir-fry. It looks delicious and will likely pass the Stephen test (If it is healthy, it still as to taste really good). Of the 15 ingredients, I have two of them at the house- garlic and sugar, six I could find in the grocery store, four could be improvised with something similar, and four are likely not to be found in the city. It is not looking good; it is time to move onto the “Simple and Satisfying…”
4 Edamame Salads- I love edamame, but the only place I have seen then is at our Costco like store in Managua for $8 for about two cups. Keep moving!
I see ads for cereal, hormone replacement, pasta with special protein added, and a beautiful young model wearing Depends undergarments. All of these items are displayed like it is the answer to all of your needs.
I find the section, with the Fast Weeknight Menus. I am sure there will be something in there. Every recipe I am missing something significant. Whether it is due to cost, availability, or quality, we don’t have Uncle Ben’s Brown Rice, EVOO, sirloin steak, basil, Greek yogurt, quinoa, kale, Dijon mustard or sweet chili sauce.
So what do I do? A lot of improvising, a lot of very simple meals, and my Wycliffe cookbook and Allrecipe.com are my go- tos. Wycliffe will show me how to cook a squirrel and give me the substitution for cream of tartar, and Allrecipes.com allows me to put the ingredients that I have in and it lets me know what I can cook.
We are not starving by any means, but we are learning. Learning that it is possible to go without or use something else, and when we can find something special in the store, we are really likely to buy it!